I got directed here after I read Rice's Amazon post and was telling someone how dumbfounded I was.

I would love to hear your take on Lackey. I don't read her any more, after trying several times because so many friends recc'ed her. I stopped after reading her advice to a budding author, in which she criticized all the things I hate about her writing. Physician, heal thyself.

I do understand how hard it is to give up on authors who spoke to us during our adolescent years, though. Whatever their flaws, they gave us something once and we can't forget it. I didn't encounter Mercedes at that age, though.